Forbidden-sounding bar debuts in Dallas Design District

Forbidden-sounding bar debuts in Dallas Design District

Dallas' Design District gets its first stand-alone bar with the November 11 debut of Taboo Lounge, which celebrates its opening with a party featuring craft cocktails, craft beer, and tequila on tap, plus complimentary bites and live entertainment with no cover charge.

Taboo comes from a team that includes Chad Vogel, owner of the cute Bishop Arts store Fete-ish and the Pavilion Lounge, otherwise known as Barbara's Pavilion.

Vogel says that Taboo doesn't necessarily have a theme, other than he wants it to be "visual comfort food."

"We want there to be a certain wow factor but at the end of the day, it has to be a place where you can go in and sink in and feel comfortable," he says.

The location at 1418 Riverfront Blvd., across from El Bolero, used to be a Mexican bar, but they've given it a full renovation.

"It's an anomaly in that mostly everything that's opened in the District is a bar/restaurant, so we're going to be the only real true stand-alone lounge in the entire environment," he says. "We're a maverick from that standpoint, so we'll bring a unique experience to the neighborhood."

Though Riverfront has not quite yet gentrified, it's about to see a transformation as the city of Dallas turns it into a tree-lined boulevard with parallel parking that is already under construction. Remodeling projects are everywhere. There are condos and a Virgin hotel.

But Vogel is an old hand at getting in ahead of the pack.

"We were ahead down in Bishop Arts before it went through its metamorphosis," he says. "But this is the largest project we’ve ever done. We've put quite a bit of money into it and a heck of a lot of effort. And we're seeing dividends already. People are liking the look and feel like this is a 'drop into a chair' and they’re there."